Name: US Journalist Covering FIFA World Cup Died From Rupture of Aortic Aneurysm, Wife Says
Uploaded: 2025-01-04T21:13:05.000Z
Description: American soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/american-soccer-reporter-collapses-and-dies-while-covering-world-cup-match_4915771.html">collapsed and died</a> while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and Netherlands in Qatar last weekend, died of a ruptured blood vessel, according to autopsy results.

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Massive Win Against 'Gender-Affirming Care': Biologist on Children's Hospital Settlement

David Zhang is a Washington correspondent focusing on national politics and U.S.–China relations. He was previously the host of the California Today and NTD Tonight.

David Zhang

Long-Awaited Documentary ‘Silent Harvest’ Debuts

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Washington Roundup (May 16): Hearing Spotlights Forced Organ Harvesting in China

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

White House Week in Review (May 16): China Trip, Police Week, Biolab Crackdown

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Pistons, Cavs Get Ready For Game 7, Knicks Await Winner

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Sen. Cassidy Faces Tough Competition in GOP Primary

Jacki Thrapp is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist based in Nashville. She previously worked at The New York Post, Fox News Channel and has written a series of Off-Broadway musicals in NYC. Contact her at jacki.thrapp@epochtimes.us

Jacki Thrapp

Business News

China Eases Restrictions on US Beef, Poultry Following Beijing Summit

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Citizens React to Communist Cuba in Crisis

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Says ISIS Second-in-Command Killed in Joint US–Nigerian Mission

Federal Agencies Announce ‘Summer Surge’ of Law Enforcement into DC Ahead of 250th Anniversary

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 16)

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

American soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/american-soccer-reporter-collapses-and-dies-while-covering-world-cup-match_4915771.html">collapsed and died</a> while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and Netherlands in Qatar last weekend, died of a ruptured blood vessel, according to autopsy results.

The autopsy, conducted by the New York City Medical Examiner's Office, shows that Wahl died from the rupture "of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium," Wahl's wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, <a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/a-note-from-grants-wife-celine-gounder">wrote</a> in a note on her husband's website.

"The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms," the page reads, adding that no amount of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or shocks would have saved him.

Gounder also noted that her husband's death was unrelated to COVID-19 vaccination status or the disease itself, saying there "was nothing nefarious about his death."

Just days before Wahl suddenly collapsed and later died, he wrote on <a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/world-cup-daily-day-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his Substack website</a>, which was published on Dec. 6, that he started to feel very ill on the night of the match between the United States and the Netherlands and visited a medical clinic in Qatar.

"My body finally broke down on me," Wahl wrote. "Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you. What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game."

A tribute for American journalist Grant Wahl, who died after he collapsed in the stadium's press area while covering the match between Argentina and Netherlands, can be seen in the media tribune ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between England and France at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, on Dec. 10, 2022. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

"I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort," the 49-year-old reporter continued, adding that a doctor at the medical center told him that he likely has bronchitis.

"They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno," he wrote, while also noting that they regularly test for COVID-19 at the media center, and his latest test came back negative.
<h2>Repatriation Was a Coordinated Effort</h2>
Gounder said that her husband's body was transported to New York "with the utmost care and sensitivity."

"This was an international matter that required coordination from multiple agencies domestically and internationally, and there was full cooperation from everyone involved. Our sincere gratitude to everyone involved in repatriating Grant, in particular the White House, the U.S. Department of State, FIFA, U.S. Soccer and American Airlines," she said.

Shortly after news broke, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDeptSpox/status/1601419687619067904">said</a> on Twitter that Washington was "in close communication" with Wahl’s family and engaged with senior Qatari officials to ensure that "his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible."

Qatar’s World Cup organizers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), also paid tribute to Wahl’s "enormous love of football" and offered condolences to his family, friends, and media colleagues.

The LED board shows a photo of Grant Wahl, an American sports journalist who passed away whilst reporting on the Argentina and Netherlands match, prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter-final match between England and France at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, on Dec. 10, 2022. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)


<h2>Wahl's Background</h2>
Wahl, a former writer for U.S.-based magazine Sports Illustrated, began his career at the paper in 1996 straight after he graduated from Princeton University.

Before he began working independently several years ago, Wahl covered some of the biggest stories in the sports world for the publication, including <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2015/07/02/si-vault-women-world-cup-1999">his account</a> of the U.S. Women's World Cup win in 1999 and his <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/02/18/ahead-of-his-class-ohio-high-school-junior-lebron-james-is-so-good-that-hes-already-being-mentioned-as-the-heir-to-air-jordan">cover story</a> of basketball player LeBron James while he was still in high school.

Wahl also worked for Fox Sports from 2012 to 2019 and was hired by CBS Sports in 2021 as an analyst and editorial consultant.

He wrote the 2009 book "The Beckham Experiment" after English soccer star David Beckham joined Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy and the 2018 book "Masters of Modern Soccer."

<em>Aldgra Fredly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</em>

SOCCER

Videos

Sports News

04_Top Stories

FIFA

journalist

Latest Clips

Lorenz Duchamps is a news writer for NTD, focusing primarily on the U.S., world, and entertainment news.

Lorenz Duchamps

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.